One Year Later, Rick DiPietro Is Ready for NHL Return

All rehabbed out, Rick DiPietro this week will play his first NHL game in over a year. "It feels good to be myself again," he said.

When it comes to bold declarations, that's about as far as the 2006 U.S. Olympian will take it. On the road back from knee surgery, DiPietro played four conditioning tuneups over the last three weeks with Bridgeport in the American Hockey League. His performances were okay, not great. His biggest accomplishment was playing complete games this past Friday in Providence and Sunday in Worcester and then practicing pain-free with the Islanders for close to two hours on Monday and another 75 minutes on Tuesday.

Over the last three years, the one-time NHL all-star has suffered a concussion, had both hips surgically repaired and undergone at least two procedures on the meniscus in his left knee. It is the knee that has kept him away from the NHL since his last outing, a 5-4 loss in Phoenix on Jan. 9, 2009.

Done with his rehab in the minor leagues, there's nothing left to do but see how the 28-year-old DiPietro responds in an NHL game. The goalie joined his teammates -- including veterans Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron in a crowded goal crease -- on the charter flight for Colorado, the first stop on a three-game road trip. After practice on Tuesday, it was apparent DiPietro has yet to be clued in on any plan for a goalie rotation. "I'm ready to play whenever they need me," DiPietro told FanHouse. "Right now, I honestly don't have any idea when that is. I just have to stay sharp and focused for when I get the call."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Islanders would not commit publicly to a start for DiPietro on the Western swing, which also features games on Friday in Dallas and Saturday in Phoenix. But it certainly looks like he will get one start. Asked if DiPietro will play on the trip, Scott Gordon -- clearly under orders -- let out a little smile and said, "Maybe."

The uncertainty is a good problem for the Islanders to have. Despite predictions that had them in the Taylor Hall sweepstakes by Christmas, Gordon's Islanders are just one game below NHL .500 and just three points out of the 7-8 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Their first-half MVP unquestionably has been Roloson, the 40-year-old netminder who is 15-7-6 with a 2.76 GAA and .912 save percentage.

The Islanders are in the business of winning hockey games, not rehabbing players at the NHL level. On the other hand, they cannot wait too long to give DiPietro an NHL start and see what they have. If DiPietro proves to be strong enough over a series of games, they could move top-quality backup Martin Biron in a trade. Although Biron has struggled, in part due to a lack of offensive support, the other 29 general managers know he is capable.

"We're in a good situation with our goalies," said Islanders captain Doug Weight. "Ricky has worked extremely hard in some challenging circumstances to get himself ready to play. Everyone in this locker room is thrilled to have him back and excited to play in front of him again. Rollie has been phenomenal all year for us and you know Marty has the ability to go on a run at any time. Having three top NHL goalies is not a problem. It's a very good thing."

"Rick was an all-star two years ago," Gordon reminded a scrum of reporters at practice on Tuesday. "If we can get him back to that level, it's a huge plus for our organization."